Volvo has moved to touch screen - yuck
 

I may be holding on to my current 2016 V60 for a long, long time. I see that the newer Volvo's have moved to the touch screen. I had a touch screen in my Outback Limited and did not like it one bit. With analog dials and switches I can change things without looking, just by feel. A touch screen you HAVE to look. With analog dials and switches if one dies your entire system isn't crippled as it is in a touch screen. Controlling everything on one screen, within one system is nonsense. But that is the way the world is heading and eventually used cars will go to the junk pile faster because it will be cost prohibitive to get them fixed.

My 2015 Subaru Outback Limited had a head unit issue but it was covered under the certified car program. Actually it was two head units that were bad, Subaru has some issues with their HU's and the boards but when that head unit is gone so is a lot of points of control. One had a bad screen and the other was the logic board. The second one the screen would illuminate but you couldn't do anything with the capacitive screen. If it would have had analog dials and switches it most likely would have had functionality. IMHO it is over engineered foolishness.


I was joking with a guy at the gas pump the other day about this may or could be the last car I own. These days I start adding up my age and the possibility that the room I paint may be the last time in my life I paint it, the car, etc. But then yesterday I met a guy at the gym who looks in his low 80's but in reality is 94 years old. I'm not in those ranges but high enough that I've seen more acquaintances in the obits than I care to see and I've seen the life expectancy stats. :)

Also have a 2015 V60 and am in complete agreement! What is being sold as a "feature" is nothing more that a drive towards cutting manufacturing cost ( one part #, one installation step) and increase repair revenue " Sorry, your temperature control function is no longer working - That will be $1600 for a new touch screen display, please"

The other looming grab: Several insurance companies are now advertising discounts for the installation/use of their "safe driving aid" which I assume is a tie-in between the on-board diagnostics and a cell or broad band device allowing them to monitor speed, acceleration, emergency braking etc. like an airplane cockpit recorder and then ding you for every instance that is seen to be outside of their limits. This will surely progress to a requirement to have such a device enabled for "standard" rates and application of a penalty rate if it is not present.

Things like this offer some compensation for being an octenagerian.

I was also going to mention the revenue enhancement that will come along with that touch screen. Even though I am one of those people who have a driving habit that would benefit from installing an insurance company dongle into my OBDII port, I am also a person that doesn't like to be monitored.

Ever wonder why some kitchen appliances don't last last decades anymore? One reason is computer boards that go bad. A good kitchen range used to last a long time. Our last range lasted about 6 years and what killed it was a dead computer board. The computer boards are installed directly near the oven vent and computer boards don't like that heat. At the time of failure I investigated and I think I read that today, a range is doing well if it makes it to 8 years. New computer board with install was about $50 > $75 less than a brand new sparkling clean range.

Cars may become as throw away as the modern range, too costly to repair that 10 year old car. Off to the bones yard. Unlike the analog of old, maybe the AC didn't work but there was a market but the car of today, with its broken touch screen will offer a lot more than just AC that won't work.